Give publicity to senior citizens' tribunals: HC to state

The state government has been directed to give wide publicity to the special Tribunals and appellate Tribunals, which have been set up under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.

The state government has been directed to give wide publicity to the special Tribunals and appellate Tribunals, which have been set up under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.

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A division bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice SJ Kathawalla of the Bombay High Court directed the government to give wide publicity while hearing a public interest litigation.

The court had taken suo moto (on its own) cognisance of a news article in a Marathi daily, which said that an 80-year-old man, who was suffering from Alzheimer, was allegedly cheated by one of his sons over property worth Rs 1 crore. The news article also said the senior citizen would have benefited had the government implemented the provisions of the said Act.

Additional government pleader, Jyoti Pawar submitted an affidavit filed by JN Rathod, deputy secretary, social justice and special assistance department, in pursuant to an earlier high court directive.

The affidavit stated: “The Social Justice and Special Assistance Department is implementing the provisions of the said Act with the help of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and civic bodies across the state.”

The affidavit further stated that the tribunals and appellate tribunals have been constituted under the said Act on September 28, 2010.

The affidavit added: “The government has constituted a tribunal for each sub division of every district in the state and appointed the concerned sub divisional officers as the presiding officers in the tribunals. Also, appellate tribunals in each districts have been constituted and the concerned district magistrates have been appointed as the presiding officers for the said appellate tribunals.”

The Centre had enacted the Act in February 2007.